William Allan PICKNETT 1863

William Allan PICKNETT was born on 14 July 1863 and baptised in St Peter's Church, Redcar. He was the eldest son of William Allan PICKNETT (1838-1903) and Emma MAY (1839-1934). He was a pupil at Zetland School in Redcar and then completed four and half years as a pupil teacher in June 1882 just before his 21st birthday. He left Redcar to train as a teacher at St. John's College, Battersea from 1883-1884. In November 1883 he gained a certificate of competence to teach Drawing and he was also awarded an Archbishop's Certificate for Religious Instruction and Divinity.

William Allan returned to Redcar in April 1885 to marry Mary STEBBINGS (daughter of John STEBBINGS and Mary ILLINGWORTH) and in the same year was appointed Headteacher of St. Leonard's (National) Boys School in Streatham, South London. The couple lived on the school premises, where their two eldest children were born in 1891 and 1893. William Allan remained at St. Leonard's until July 1894, when his engagement was terminated due to the school's financial difficulties. In October 1894 he started a three year training course as a Science teacher at the Royal College of Science, South Kensington (now Imperial College) and in November 1898 he gained an external B.Sc. (First Class)in Science and Maths. He worked as a Physics master at Owen's School, Islington and in September 1899 received a letter from the Department of Science and Art (South Kensington) stating that he was qualified to teach:

Plane and solid geometry
Mathematics
Theoretical mechanics
Sound, Light and Heat
Magnetism & Electricity
Theoretical and Practical Inorganic Chemistry
Geology and Mineralogy
Human Physiology
General Biology, Zoology & Botany
Nautical Astronomy
Physiography and Hygiene

He taught Physics at Hackney Pupil Teacher's centre from 1900 - 1906, when he was appointed as a demonstrator and lecturer in Physics at Paddington Technical Institute, where he worked until his retirement in 1924.

William Allan and Mary had five children:

Dorothy May (b. 1891) m. Pierre MARIE

Leslie William (April 1893 - September 1973) m. Vera Violet COLE (1894 - 1982)

Bernard Frederick (July 1896 - June 1960) m. Ethel May PROWSE (1894 - 1983)

Sidney Norman (March 1898 - 1974) m. Margaret (Madge) GOVAN (1896 - 1996)

Edith Gertrude (December 1899 - November 1989) m1. James O'NEILL FISHER (1895 - 1947) m2. Denis William GEE (d. 1961)

Cedric MARIE remembered his grandfather, who obviously had no intention of leading a quiet life in retirement:

Worthing Front or Silverstone

In about 1935, when I was 5 years old, my Grandfather used to take us all on gentle rides into the South Downs from his home at 11 Gaisford Road in his circa 1930 Hillman Minx. The beloved Minx was not turbo-charged and could probably manage to reach 50mph downhill following a scintillating acceleration to 40mph in about 5 minutes. My grandfather was well into his seventies and had only learned to drive following his retirement to Worthing. He had never indulged in beating the traffic lights down the Cromwell Road in London. Gently was his style and , perhaps anticipating my later BMW 3 -series boy- racing in London, I used to sit in the lovely rear leather seat secretly urging him on.

On one lovely Sunny Worthing day, Grandfather decided to live it up a little and ventured into the roaring traffic of downtown Worthing and the Minx ended up travelling the seafront. Very soon a large member of the Sussex constabulary raised a white glove and brought the Minx to a juddering halt. Peering through the window at Grandfather he observed "This is Worthing seafront, Sir, not a race-track". For once my learned Grandfather was speechless and all the passengers in the Minx erupted in laughter. "Ah well, Sir", said the constable, "they are all obviously on your side, but do watch your speed in future."

So Grandfather never did receive a speeding ticket and spent the rest of his life burning up the tarmac on the South Downs. Somewhere up there, an old black Hillman Minx, registration PO 7764, is looking down and chuckling.

Mary STEBBINGS died in 1940 and William Allan surprised his family when, at the age of 80, he married his neighbour Sarah WILKS in 1943 in Worthing. He died in 1954.